Car-door fastener.



FREDRIOK TILMAN HARTMAN, OF J OLIET, ILLINOIS.

CAR-DOOR FASTENER.

Specification cf Letters Patent.

I1 a'oo'nted Oct. 17, 1905.

A li ati fil d October 20, 1904. Serial No. 229,331.

I0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDRIOK TILMAN HARTMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Joliet, in the county of Will and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Door Fasteners and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in car-door fasteners.

The object of the invention is to provide a fastening device for car and other similarlysliding doors.

Another object is to provide a fastening device of this character which willbe automatically looked upon. the closing of the door, thus saving considerable time and trouble over the common method of fastening car-doors.

A further object is to provide a fastening device of this character which will be simple in construction, strong, durable, and efficient means being provided whereby a seal may be quickly and easily applied to the same.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a car and door, showing the application of the invention, the door being shown as closed and fastened in position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the door partly' opened and the latch-bar swung back out of the way. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the latchbar and keeper, showing the parts in locked position; and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the detent in position to permit the latch-bar to be withdrawn, the bar being shown in a partially-retracted position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes a car-door, and 2 denotes the door-casing. Secured to the door 1 is a latchbar-supporting bracket 3, in which is preferably formed a longitudinally-disposed channel 4, and midway between the ends of the same are formed upwardly-proj ecting par allellugs 5. Between the lugs 5 is pivotally mounted the inner end of a latch-bar 6, said bar being adapted to be swung to a horizontal position on either side of said lugs 5 and to lie within the channel 4, formed in said bracket 3. When the bar 6 is swung to an operative position, the same will project beyond the edge of the bracket; but when not in use the same may be swung to the opposite side of the bracket, whereby the same will be supported in an out-of-the-way position, thereby avoiding the possibility of the same being bent or broken when loading the car.

1 In the lower edge of thebar 6, near the free end of the same, is formed alongitudinallydisposed notch or recess 7, the upper wall of which is inclined, as shown at 8. end of the bar is formed a sealing-aperture 9. On the door-casing is secured a keeper 10, into which is adapted to be projected the end of the latch-bar when the door 1 is brought to a closed position. Theinner walls of the top and bottom sides of the keeperare flared outwardly, as shown at 12, to facilitate the entrance of the latch-bar within the same. On the inner wall of the lower side of the keeper is formed a longitudinally-disp0sed recess 13, in which is pivotally mounted a detent 14. When the detent 14 is in its normal position, the forward end of the same will lie flush with the inner wall of the bottom of the keeper, while the opposite end of the same will project above said wall, thereby forming a stopshoulder 15, which when engaged by the recess 7 of the latch-bar will lock said bar with in the keeper.

The detent 14 is preferably formed with a rearwardly-inclined upper wall, over which the inner end of the latch-bar is adapted to slide when the same is projected into the keeper by the closing of the car-door. The detent is pivoted near its inner end, as shown at 16, and on the lower side of said inner end adjacent to the pivotal point of the detent the same is beveled or cut away, as shown at I 17. The inner wall of the lower side of the into the keeper a sufficient distance for the inner end of the recess 7 to be clear of the shoulder 15 of the detent, said detent will In the outer again drop to its normal position, thus raising the inner end of the same and preventing the Withdrawal of the latch-bar.

In order that the detent may be rocked to lower the inner end of the same and permit the latch-bar to be withdrawn, a releasingknob 18 is provided, on which is formed a spindle 19, journaled in the lower wall of the keeper. On said spindle is formed an eccentricallyarranged arm 20, which is adapted to engage a groove 2]., formed on the under side of the detent 14, whereby when said spindle is turned by the knob 18 said arm 20 will lift the outer end of the detent, thus lowering the locking-shoulder 15 to the level of the inner wall of the keeper-bottom, which will permit the latch-bar to be withdrawn. As the latch-bar is retracted or withdrawn from the keeper the inner wall of the recess formed therein will force the detent 14 downwardly to its normal position, thus permitting the latch-bar to readily slide out of said keeper and also setting the detent to permit the entrance and automatical. locking of the latchbar when the same is again inserted into the keeper by the closing of the car-door.

On the inner end of the keeper is formed an apertured sealing-lug 22, the aperture in said lug being adapted to alinewith thesealing-aperture 9, formed in the end of the latch-bar, whereby whensaid bar has been inserted into the keeper said parts will be in position to receive the usual metallic sealing device, which may be quickly and easily engaged with the apertures formed in lug 22 and end of the latch-bar.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood Without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A door-fastener of the character described, consisting of a latch-bar adapted to be pivotally connected to the door, said bar having formed therein a locking-recess and a sealing-aperture, a keeper secured to the easing of the door, an apertured sealing lug formed on said casing, the aperture in said lug being adapted to aline with the aperture in said latch-bar when the latter is in locked position, thereby permitting a seal to be applied to said parts, a spring-detent pivotally mounted in said keeper, a locking-shoulder formed on said detent which when said latch-bar is inserted in said keeper will engage said locking recess and thereby lock said bar, and a releasing-knob whereby said detent may be actuated to disengage said locking shoulder from said locking recess and thereby release said latch-bar, substantially as described.

2. A sliding-door fastener, consisting of a latch-bar bracket adapted to be secured to a .door, said bracket having a horizontallydisposed channeled supporting plate, and upwardly-projecting bearing-lugs, a latchbar pivotally mounted between said lugs and adapted to be supported in an operative or inoperative position by said channeled plate, a keeper secured to the door-casing in position to receive said latch-bar when the door is closed, a detent arranged in said keeper and actuated by said latch-bar to automatically engage and lock the same, and means whereby said detent is actuated to release said bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDRIOK TILMAN IIARTMAN.

/Vitnesses THOMAS F. GRAHAM, JOHN E. RHIND. 

